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Lee County, Virginia
Lee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the 2000 census, the population was 23,589. Its county seat is Jonesville6. Lee County is the westernmost county in Virginia. History The county was formed in 1793 from Russell County. It was named for Light Horse Harry Lee, the Governor of Virginia from 1791 to 1794, who was known as "Light Horse Harry" for his exploits as a leader of light troops in the American Revolutionary War. He was the father of Confederate General Robert E. Lee. In 1814 parts of Lee County, Russell County, and Washington County were combined to form Scott County. In 1856 parts of Lee County, Russell County, and Scott County were combined to form Wise County. Economy Lee County is one of the poorest counties in Virginia. Its economy is dependent largely on growing tobacco and mining coal. In recent years, using the slogan Where Virginia Begins, it has attempted to increase its tourism industry by emphasing its role in the route used by settlers going west through the Cumberland Gap, at Lee County's western tip. Lee County shares Cumberland Gap National Historic Park with Kentucky and Tennessee. Some of the attractions listed in the park include Hensley's Settlement, the Pinnacle Overlook, the Sand Cave, and the White Rocks overlooking the towns of Ewing and Rose Hill. Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,133 km² (437 mi²). 1,132 km² (437 mi²) of it is land and 0 km² (0 mi²) of it (0.04%) is water. Districts The county is divided into five districts: Jonesville, Rocky Station, Rose Hill, White Shoals, and Yokum Station. Adjacent Counties *Harlan County - north *Wise County - northeast *Scott County - east *Hancock County - south *Claiborne County - south-southwest *Bell County - west Demographics As of the census² of 2000, there were 23,589 people, 9,706 households, and 6,852 families residing in the county. The population density was 21/km² (54/mi²). There were 11,086 housing units at an average density of 10/km² (25/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.44% White, 0.44% Black or African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.08% from other races, and 0.64% from two or more races. 0.51% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 9,706 households out of which 29.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.00% were married couples living together, 11.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.40% were non-families. 27.00% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.91. In the county, the population was spread out with 22.80% under the age of 18, 8.00% from 18 to 24, 27.50% from 25 to 44, 26.30% from 45 to 64, and 15.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 94.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.30 males. The median income for a household in the county was $22,972, and the median income for a family was $28,525. Males had a median income of $27,579 versus $19,370 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,625. About 20.20% of families and 23.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 30.10% of those under age 18 and 23.30% of those age 65 or over. Towns *Dryden *Ewing *Jonesville *Keokee *Pennington Gap *Rose Hill *St. Charles See also: List of Virginia counties Schools in Lee County Virginia Public High Schools Lee High School, Jonesville Thomas Walker High School, Ewing Public Middle Schools Pennington Middle School, Pennington Gap Jonesville Middle School, Jonesville Public Elementary Schools Dryden Elementary School, Dryden Keokee Elementary School, Keokee Elk Knob Elementary School, Woodway Elydale Elementary School, Elydale Ewing Elementary School, Ewing Flatwoods Elementary School, Jonesville St. Charles Elementary School, St. Charles Stickleyville Elementary School, Stickleyville Rose Hill Elementary School, Rose Hill Technical Schools Lee County Vo/Career Tech, Ben Hur External links * Official site Category:Counties of Virginia Category:Lee County, Virginia